Manchester United delivered one of their best performances of the season on Thursday night in the Europa League, as they brushed aside Fenerbahce 4-1 at Old Trafford.
It was a memorable night for many reasons, not least the influence of Paul Pogba, who scored two goals, one of them a beauty and set up a goal for Jesse Lingard. Having come in for plenty of criticism since his return to Old Trafford, Pogba showed what he is capable of against the Turks and everyone connected with the club will be hoping it’s a sign the Frenchman is back to his best.
However, while Pogba is on the up at Manchester United, it appears Wayne Rooney is going the other way, with two penalty incidents shining a light on where the England international currently stands in the pecking order at Old Trafford.
Juan Mata was brought down in the box in the first half and the referee awarded a penalty. With Rooney, just three goals away from matching Sir Bobby Charlton’s record of 249, everyone was expecting to see the former Everton man step up and take the penalty, as he has done numerous times for both Manchester United and England. However, after a brief conversation with Pogba, the ball was left with the Frenchman, who after a stuttering run-up, sent the ball confidently into the corner of the goal, to give Manchester United the lead.
It wasn’t long after the home team were awarded another penalty, this time Martial was brought down, as he burst into the Fenerbahce penalty area. Rooney was again on the scene but this time passed up to the chance to Anthony Martial, who stepped up and found the same corner of the goal as Pogba, to give Manchester United a comfortable 2-0 lead.
Is the fact Rooney being happy to allow his team mates to get the glory, a sign his confidence in-front of goal has completely gone or was it something else? Former Manchester United striker, Michael Owen was quick to criticise Rooney for the decision and said “He has to want to score. When he was younger he was nasty. He wanted to score. He was desperate. He gets a penalty. He should be all over it.”
Maybe but looking back 12 years ago, Rooney was the new, young player, taking the ball off the likes of Ryan Giggs at set-piece situations, to score goals for Manchester United. Ryan Giggs had been at the club for years and a renowned free-kick taker, yet he allowed Rooney to step in and have a go. So, what’s the difference? Rooney allowed Pogba and Martial, who have both been struggling to get going this season, to gain some confidence from the spot. As the captain, this could have been an act of selfishness on behalf of Rooney, to help his younger colleagues.
Yes, Rooney has been showing signs of decline over the last two years and perhaps his own confidence has taken a hit as a result, especially now he is on the fringes of Joes Mourinho’s first choice XI. Rooney is no longer the main man at Old Trafford, there are younger, better players than him at the club. Should he be criticised for allowing them the chance to shine?